SpaceX Launches World's Biggest Rocket

Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk spoke Sunday about the timeline for sending a space vehicle to Mars, CNBC reported.

Musk told the audience at the South by Southwest festival held in Austin, Texas, that the milestone for sending a space vehicle to Mars is as early as next year. The venture, announced in 2017, aims to send a cargo mission to the Red Planet by 2022. SpaceX's ultimate objective is to plant the seeds to put a human colony on Mars.

A flight on SpaceX's BFR rocket system could cost in the $5 to $6 million range.

The billionaire told the audience that "we are building the first Mars, or interplanetary ship, and I think well be able to short trips, flights by first half of next year."

'Starman' Orbits Earth in Musk's Tesla

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster is orbiting the earth, with a mannequin named "Starman" in the driver's seat. The Falcon Heavy rocket, powered by 27 engines and three boosters, lifted Musk's Tesla Roadster into orbit on Tuesday, Feb. 6.